All-conquering Willie Mullins continues incredible season as he saves Irish from falling flat on day one at Royal Ascot

Mullins has enjoyed an extraordinary year so far, with Champion Hurdle and Gold Cup successes at the Cheltenham Festival followed by Aintree National glory, as well as a first British jumps trainers’ crown, and he proved himself to be equally adept on the Flat once again when the chance arises.

Vauban, reported to be in “great shape” ahead of his Ascot Gold Cup bid tomorrow, won this valuable handicap 12 months ago and Mullins admitted he may have underestimated the battling grey Belloccio.

“So maybe I was wrong, maybe he is in the same league as Vauban,” a delighted Mullins beamed. “He didn’t break well, but William did the best he could from his position. He just minded him and came wide and stayed on.

“This fellow will probably go to the Ebor. He’s entered here on Saturday, but we won’t make any decisions about this weekend yet. We’ll see how he comes out of this race, and I think the bigger picture may come into it.”

The Melbourne Cup is a possibility for the six-year-old after scoring on a day when the Irish had previously enjoyed little joy with the Aidan O’Brien-trained Henry Longfellow (11/2) gunned down late on by the Richard Hannon-trained Rosallion (5/2) in the St James’s Palace Stakes.

O’Brien was narrowly foiled in a bid to land the Group One for a 10th time as Rosallion, this year’s Irish 2,000 Guineas winner, came with a late flourish under Sean Levey to continue a dream season for the winning rider.

O’Brien insists there’s more to come from Henry Longfellow, though, after leaving his French 2,000 Guineas flop in the rear-view mirror.

“We are delighted with him. He ran a great race, so what can you say? We think there’s more to come. He didn’t have much of a run in France, so that was his first real race this year,” O’Brien said of the Dubawi colt.

“It is really like a first time out for him because France was a non-event. He is happy at a mile, but he could step up further, yes. Ryan was surprised, he said, that the winner came and got him because he was running to the line.”

There was no Irish success at the highest level, with the other Group One spoils going the way of the Roger Varian-trained Charyn (100/30 favourite) in the Queen Anne Stakes, while Henry Dwyer’s Asfoora (5/1) took the King Charles III Stakes under a fine steer from Kerry native Oisín Murphy.

The Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (4.25) is the showpiece event on day two, with O’Brien sending the enigmatic but brilliant Auguste Rodin into battle for the prestigious €1.2million contest.

It was a surprise on many fronts for Auguste Rodin to stay in training as a four-year-old and not head for the breeding shed, but his season has not gone to plan as of yet.

He bombed out when last in the Dubai Sheema Classic at the end of March, where he went off favourite, before being soundly beaten by White Birch in the Tattersalls Gold Cup, while his only other trip to Ascot saw him trail home last in the 2023 King George VI Stakes.

It’s hard to be bullish at short odds on those grounds, and the presence of Inspiral and French raider Horizon Dore adds further depth, while the Ballydoyle maestro also holds a strong hand in the Listed Windsor Castle Stakes (6.15) via Treasure Isle and Celtic Chieftain.